Wednesday, December 25, 2013

A Christmas Story: Genting Casino Good to Staff? By Geniusofdespair

Resorts World CEO center? "Get me the name of those union leaders" he says.

Not so in New York. The Queens casino owned by Genting/Resorts World was ORDERED by a labor arbitrator to pay its staff a living wage. that doubled most salaries. The workers went from $20,000 average to $40,000. So this is a happy ending for workers at the New York casino on food stamps and working 2 jobs.

We are talking New York wages not Arkansas.

The new Eddie Borrego, Lynda Bell's Chief of Staff, drives a Mercedes and is said to park in Lynda's space at the county executive parking lot when she isn't there. Which Eddie went to Singapore? He doesn't have to worry about a living wage, his year to date gross is $109,713.48. Eddie what happened to Johanna Faddis? Will someone find out?

So when Pepe Diaz and Lynda Bell say, the Casino will be good for jobs, think again. Read this story from New York. They had to be FORCED to pay a living wage. Remember, Lynda went to visit the Genting casino in a Singapore trip she made with her sidekick Eddie Borrego (we paid for both to go). Remember this New York story when Commissioners mention "jobs". This is why unions are necessary to fight greedy companies, like Malaysia's biggest corporation.

Resorts World, which has been spectacularly successful, did not dispute its ability to pay the salaries sought by the union, the Hotel Trades Council. The casino, which opened two years ago in southeastern Queens, attracts 35,000 visitors a day. It posted revenues of $696.5 million in the year ended in March and its electronic slot machines averaged $432 each a day in September, considerably more than slot machines in Atlantic City, Connecticut or Las Vegas

11 comments:

Eddie is a mensch and a highly qualified and experienced executive. He was running circles around Tallahassee when he was barely in college. 109K is modest and a bargain for this guy. You are off base here buddy.

An experienced executive wouldn't NEED to earn a living off the taxpayer dole directly. They'd earn it screwing the taxpayers by hiring the right lobbyist and getting the right contract.

Eddie wouldn't last a day in the private corporate world making less then $50K per year. Running circles around anyone in Tallahassee is pretty much an oxymoron these days. He seems to be more of a political groupie then an actual legislative brain trust.

Linda Bell voted against returning employees their five percent, but her chief of staff makes more than 100K. I wish I could understand politicians and opportunists. We need to do 2 things to avoid this:

Let's pay commissioners a decent salary (so we can get capable citizens to run for office).Do not vote for the individuals who do a poor job as elected officials

Last anon, I'd take it one step further - a decent salary in exchange for public financing of county commission campaigns AND simple legislation prohibiting the use of PAC's or ECO's or whatever third party mechanism to fund campaigns at the county level. We will never level the playing field inside County Hall with the money poured in to the races, which is why the public won't approve the salary increase.

Bell is just carrying the Mayor's water. She went off twice at the union impasse hearings where workers were trying to get back a temporary 5% pay cut that was to sunset in 2014.Bell went on about how rough it is now for her brother and/or husband's plumbing business. At the first hearing it was her bother who got laid off, the second hearing apparently her husband is also an unemployable plumber.. BTW weren't these guys rolling in dough during the Homestead boom or are they just lousy plumbers?

Anyway.

She rails on how high county workers are paid.

Actually county starts part timers at $11.04/hr and no insurance.. ironically Dade County has a "living wage" ordinance, county contractors must presently pay their workers $14.01 so we have county workers making $11.04 supervising unskilled day labor making 25% more but let's not confuse Ms Bell's rants with fact.

However Lynda, watching the Bell brand tank in the last Homestead mayor election, is now seeing well funded opposition lining up against her for upcoming district 8 race. County unions don't always get into BCC level elections but with her razor slim win for her district seat in 2000 and her swing vote on the labor issue, they can smell blood.

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Quotes hall of fame - worth another look:

Jonathon Dunlop of Australia about the Miami Airport:"This is the most disorganized shambles of an airport that exists on this earth.''April 01, 2007 Eye on Miami Comment on Post__________________________________On "Colony Collapse Disorder":Anonymous said...I say lets wait till the last tree is going to be cut down, the last bit of oil used, the last lowland coastal areas flooded before we make any rash decisions that might effect the economy.April 21, 2007 Eye on Miami Comment_________________________________On Bee “Colony Collapse Disorder” being blamed on cell phones:Anonymous said...Hmmm. What are bees doing with cell phones, anyhow?April 20, 2007 Eye on Miami Comment_________________________________On South Florida Water Supply:Ron Littlepage said...Unfortunately, we know who would win when it comes to allowing development to run amok and it's not the wildlife.April 20, 2007 Eye on Miami Comment Post_________________________________Lesley Blackner said:In Florida, the sad reality is that government exists to serve the development machine, not the citizenry. That's why it's proper to say that in Florida we have government of the developer, by the developer and for the developer.April 22, 2007 Eye on Miami Post_________________________________On City of Miami and Miami Dade County giving $1,000,000 each to Jorge Perez’s Related Group (The Group's 2005 revenues were $3.25 billion.):"It makes as much sense as me donating half my paycheck to Warren Buffett.”May 6, 2007 Miami Herald Columnist Ana Menendez_________________________________On the FCAT Test:"'Florida is a serial mis-user of test scores.''Bob Schaeffer, director for Massachusetts-based FairTest.May 25, 2007 Miami Herald_________________________________Clifford Schulman (Greenberg Traurig Lobbyist):"This is the first time in 33 years that any one has accused me of fraud." June 28, 2007 Miami HeraldI say: hmm.__________________________________Max Rameau, Homeless Activist:"I respect Ron Book for his work with the Homeless Trust, but the Liberty City community and others have given broad support to this idea. I don't know that a big-time millionaire lobbyist can tell us what is best for Liberty City and the black community.'' July 28, 2007 Miami Herald__________________________________"After years of mismanagement under a board of political appointees and neighborhood activists, Miami-Dade County administrators have proposed a new way to run the troubled empowerment zone program. The plan: Bring in new political appointees and neighborhood activists."November 6, 2007 Miami Herald: Reporter Scott Hiaasen______________________________________"Saying "Greater Everglades" and "Northern Everglades" is not saying Everglades -- other places are deserving of being protected too, but there is only one Everglades. The main thing is to keep the 'Main Thing' the main thing -- which, lately, has not been the main thing." Bob Mooney - on Listserve "Everglades Commons"________________________________________"Does anyone in their right mind believe that Florida could conduct postal balloting without a major screw-up or scandal? Heavens, no! The whole country is keenly aware that our state is a sump hole of incompetence and corruption."Carl Hiaasen - March 16, 2008 Miami Herald_______________________________________On the Charter Review: "Commissioners want us to vote on their own pet changes, ideas the review team explicitly rejected. And, they're throwing their blatantly self-serving ballot questions at us at the same time. What a slap in the face to the charter review team — and to all of us!" Michael Lewis of Miami Today - April 10, 2008______________________________________On the Miami Dade County Commission:''Unfortunately, this is a commission that would build a cyanide factory next to a playground if you hired the right 12 lobbyists,'' Miami Lakes Councilman Michael Pizzi - May 14, 2008______________________________________"The days where we’re just building sprawl forever, those days are over. I think that Republicans, Democrats, everybody recognizes that that’s not a smart way to build communities." President Barack Obama in Fort Meyers - February 10, 2009______________________________________"So."Dick Cheney's response when told that two thirds of Americans did not support the war in Iraq. - Time Magazine 2008______________________________________"It seems like a bad idea can always find a home in the Florida Legislature." - Howard Simon - Executive Director of Florida ACLU - March 24, 2010

______________________________________Complete this sentence: South Florida really needs a..."Regional plan for controlled growth (before it becomes a concrete jungle similar to Houston), and a completely new set of elected officials that make decisions based on what's good for the future of South Florida instead of what's good for their wallets. - Jack McCabe, Real Estate expert who predicted the housing boom's end. - August 29, 2011 Miami Herald